Atlanta Music Guide

CD Review: Sonya Kitchell -- This Storm

Sonya Kitchell
This Storm
Decca/Velour

by Al Kaufman

Sonya Kitchell could very well be the oldest 19-year-old in the world. When she released Words Came Back to Me in 2006, at the age of 16, people were blown away that a voice so mature could eminate from a body so young. In the ensuing two plus years her voice has aged better than any bordeaux. While many compare her to Joni Mitchell or Sarah McLachlan, her voice has a smokiness and sultriness that is akin to Beth Orton, KT Tunstall, or the lesser known Jenny Owen Youngs.

Anathallo to Headline @ The Loft Tue Nov 4th - Watch their new video!

Unique and intoxicating 7 piece band Anathallo will play at The Loft on Tuesday November 4th.  The band is currently on tour supporting their very soon to be released album Canopy Glow which is on Anticon records.

Anathallo's new video for the song "Bells" is inspired, as is much of their music, by the work of contemporary artists.  The intertwining of music and art is something the band has been committed to with this release, as the cover art for Canopy Glow was created by Chicago artist Tim Lowly.  Tim is the artist in residence at North Park University in Chicago, and has had his work exhibited in many respected galleries around the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Enjoy the video - and click below to buy tickets for the show.

New Atlanta Events Just Announced!

Get your social calendars out!  Lots of new events have been added for ATL - you can purchas tickets for any event below @ Ticket Alternative:

Sat Nov 1 - Recycled Halloween Party - Andrew's Upstairs
Sat Nov 1 - The Despised w/ Sister Sekenden - East Atlanta Icehouse
Sat Nov 8 - Behind The Sun (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute) - Andrew's Upstairs
Fri Nov 14 - The Selmanaires w/ Parts & Labor - Star Bar
Fri Nov 14 - Gritz & Jelly Butter Sugar & Spice - Sugar Hill
Sun Nov 16 - Papa Mali - Smith's Olde Bar
Tue Nov 18 - Bad Flirt w/ Rafter - The Drunken Unicorn
Fri Nov 21 - Ruckus w/ El Scorcho (Weezer Tribute) - Andrew's Upstairs
Sat Nov 22 - Musical Mayhem Indiependant Night - East Atlanta Icehouse
Sat Nov 22 - Citizen Icon w/ Overhead Ground - Vinyl
Sat Nov 22 - Tron Jackson - Andrew's Upstairs
Tue Nov 25 - Dr. Fameus feat. Allen Aucoin - Smith's Olde Bar
Fri Nov 28 - WILX w/ Turtle Folk - Andrew's Upstairs
Sat Nov 29 - Toys For Tots Benefit feat. Dream Level 7, Danny Moore, & more - East ATL Icehouse

Sat Dec 6 - The Bridges w/ Ponderosa - Vinyl
Sun Dec 7 - Her & King's County - Smith's Olde Bar
Fri Dec 12 - Playground Rivals w/ Player Kommander -Vinyl
Fri Dec 12 - Paleface w/ Mad Tea Party - Smith's Olde Bar
Sat Dec 13 - Dirty Shirty Totally 80's Christmas Party - Vinyl
Sun Dec 21 - Jackson Sneed - Smith's Olde Bar
Sat Dec 27 - Unknown Hinson w/ Special Guests - The Earl
Wed Dec 31 - The Rent Boys w/ Howlies - The Earl

Sat Jan 03 - Hightide Blues - Smith's Olde Bar
Sat Jan 24 - The Gourds - Smith's Olde Bar

Mon Feb 2 - James Hunter - Smith's Olde Bar

Tickets for The Killers ATL show go on-sale Saturday

The Killers will be appearing at the Atlanta Civic Center on Friday Jan 30th at 8:00 p.m. - and tickets go on Sale THIS SATURDAY!

The on-sale will begin on Saturday November 1st @ 10am. Click here to buy tickets online. To charge by phone call (404) 249-6400.

For more information visit The Killers Website or Livenation.

You heard them here first - Free tix and CD's for Barcelona & Low vs. Diamond

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of catching onto a great band before the masses figure out the secret.  Rival Entertainment, Vinyl, and Ticket Alternative are going to give you the opportunity to do just that.  We have 5 pairs of tickets to give away to the Barcelona & Low vs. Diamond show on Wednesday November 5th at Vinyl.  We also have 5 copies each of Barcelona's & Low Vs. Diamond's latest CDs to award to some lucky readers! - Each winner will get a pair of tickets - and will be given both CDs when they arrive at the show!

Barcelona began as a solo project for Seattle singer/songwriter Brian Fennell and turned into a band with his childhood friend Brian Eichelberger (bass, strings) and college friends Chris Bristol (Guitar) and Rhett Stonelake (drums.)  The band quickly attracted the attention of several A&R execs, but were never quite satisfied with the process of courting a label, and instead decided to focus on creating their current CD Absolutes.  The album showcases piano-based heavily melodic rock.  Barcelona is looking forward to building upon their loyal West-Coast fan base as a result of this tour.

Low vs. Diamond is a L.A. based quintet that Rolling Stone has named as an Artist to Watch in 2009.   Their self titled album features several romantically themed tracks, many of which build to stadium worthy choruses.  Blender Magazine raves, "[the CD}] is filled with 'roll down the car window and sing-until-you're-hoarse epics!'"  Check out video of the band as they perform on The Late Show with David Letterman.

To win tickets to the show, or a Low vs. Diamond CD, send us an email with your name, email address, and contact phone number (Please do NOT change the subject line in the email.) We will draw winners on the day of the show!

Zac Brown Band signs with Atlantic

Atlanta's own Zac Brown Band has signed with Atlantic according to Billboard. Their CD "The Foundation," will be released on Atlantic/Home Grown/Big Picture on Nov. 18

CD Review: Reckless Kelly -- Bulletproof

Reckless Kelly
Bulletproof
Yep Roc Records

by Al Kaufman

Austin's Reckless Kelly, named after Australian outlaw Ned "Reckless" Kelly, have never quite been able to live up to their image. While they try to convey themselves as renegade country-rockers, they often come across as Steve Earle with the rough edges rubbed clean.

While Bulletproof offers a glimpse into just how great they could be if chose to cut their albums on a dusty dirt road instead of a sterile studio,  they still are ultimately unable to live up to their oh so great potential.

"Ragged as the Road" starts things off well. The song chugs along as it conjures up dusty roads, scorched earth, trains, and guns. The band also offers up a nice one-two punch in the middle, with "A Guy Like Me" and "American Blood." The former is full of swagger and bravado as the subject tries to convince the girl to fall in love with his bad self. The latter is an all too true assessment of our American soldiers. Songwriter and vocalist Willy Braun says the song is not pro- or anti-American, but simply "a tribute to the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform." But since the soldier in Braun's story comes back missing his legs and "cries God bless America but God damn Uncle Sam," it is unlikely any McCain supporters will be singing it at any rallies.The band backs up their words by setting up collection bins for soldiers at their shows. Concert goers are encouraged to bring toiletries, canned food items, clothing, and postcards. They offer a complete list of desired items here.

"God Forsaken Town," co-written with Robert Earl Keen, demonstrates the anger and frustration of a Katrina survivor in New Orleans. The character in this story sits atop his roof with a sawed-off shotgun to keep looters at bay, but also pleads to "let the mighty Mississippi take this God forsaken town."

The rest of the CD is nice enough, but sounds mostly like Steve Earle outtakes. This is not a bad thing in itself, but all it takes is a couple of listens, or a chance to see them live, to realize that this band is capable of a whole lot more.

Reckless Kelly play the Variety Playhouse with Reverend Horton Heat and Nashville Pussy on Sunday, November 2. 7:30 pm. $25/$27.50 door.

Day Of The Dead Festival - Nov 1st

Pop Death Squad's DAY OF THE DEAD Festival - this Saturday, November 1.

Local Atlanta promo team, Pop Death Squad,  partnered up with Death On Two Wheels frontman Trae Vedder, for the first ever outdoor / indoor festival at everyone's favorite L5P dive - the Star Bar!

Along with the bands, there will be tacos, beer and a Mariachi band!!!

The DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL / Death On Two Wheels CD Release

The BANDS
Constellations //  myspace.com/constellationsatl
Death On Two Wheels // myspace.com/deathontwowheels
Kuroma // kuromamusic.com 
Ponderosa // myspace.com/ponderosamusic
The Empties // myspace.com/theempties
Part Bear // myspace.com/partbear
Shovels & Ropes // myspace.com/cahearstandmichaeltrent
The Weeks // myspace.com/theweeks
Poison Arrows // myspace.com/poisonarrows77
special guests....

The VENUE
Star Bar
437 Moreland Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307

The INFO
Saturday, November 1
$5 / 21 and UP
Open at 2PM
Music at 3PM

The SPONSORS
Dos Equis
Jack Daniels
Blue Frog Cantina
SE Performer
Criminal Records

The WEBSITES
deadatl.com
myspace.com/popdeathsquad
myspace.com/deathontwowheels

Music Man: ATL--MJ

Last week New York saw the umpteenth installment of the CMJ music marathon. I go every year, but this year I chose not too, opting instead to stay in Atlanta where I ended up enviously reading the tweets and blogs of all my friends who did decide to go, and as soon as Tuesday rolled around, I totally regretted my decision. In spite of all the hype, and the difficulties in getting from venue to venue, CMJ is a great place to network, and to see several hundred bands in a concentrated space in one week's time. And when you do what I do for a living, why WOULDN'T I go? Insane decision, never to be made again. Of course the cool thing to say is that CMJ is like so totally mainstream now, so there's no way I would go back,  but nope, I just made a bad decision. Oh well.

So instead of wallowing in my regret, I decided to make my own CMJ, right here in Atlanta. Granted I didn't see hundreds of bands, nor did I network with a ton of people (unless you count driving around a VERY drunk Mayor of Ponce who I gave a lift to one evening as "networking"). Instead I saw seven bands, and was very pleased with all of them. 

Here are my top 3:

Passion Pit -- Chunk of Change

Passion Pit
Chunk of Change
Frenchkiss Records

by Al Kaufman

The thing that set New Order (and their predecessor, the even more dour Joy Division) apart from all the other synth-rock bands of the eighties was their passion. There was substance behind their sound. There was raw emotion.

Michael Angelakos has tapped into that same passion-synth sound on his band, Passion Pit's, debut EP, Chunk of Change.  He really had no choice; Chunk of Change was a belated Valentine's Day present for his girlfriend. He started selling copies of it at shows until buzz spread. The band won best new local act in the 2008 WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll and opened for Death Cab for Cutie. They were eventually signed by Frenchkiss.